On St. George's Day, Saturday 23rd April, 2011 we started a Green revolution in Ashton-under-lyne, Tameside, in the tradition of English radical group The diggers who during the period of the English Commonwealth, in 1649 reclaimed the common land of St. George's Hill from the Lords of the manor by digging and cultivating it.
After years of delay by Tameside Council prospective allotment holders in Ashton have now organised ourselves to take over control of the land on Ashton Moss that had been allocated for the replacement allotments, supported by sympathetic volunteers, we came together in a day of action to reclaim the allotments from Cordingleys who have neglected and mismanaged the land
Ashton Allotments Action, activists arrived at the the site at 10.00 am on Saturday morning with garden tools and started to clear the weeds from the overgrown allotment plots.
The major weed infestation on the site is primarily from Soft Rush Juncus effusus, but also includes many other weeds which are difficult to remove such as Horsetail Equsetum Arvense.
The action day finished at 16.00, by which time the we had cleared approximately 30 square metres, after digging the soil over we planted Beans and potatoes.
This was the first day of action, Ashton Allotment Action now intend to continue cultivating and improving the allotment site, we invite others who are on the waiting list for allotments on Ashton Moss and anyone else who supports what we are doing to join, for information contact
We now call upon Tameside Council and Cordingleys to remedy the neglect and mismanagement of the Ashton Moss allotments site.
We call on the Council, as a matter of urgency to call a meeting of the all of the people who are on their waiting list for an allotment on Ashton Moss, in order to facilitate the the allocation of allotment plots and the formation of an allotment association to administrate and manage the Ashton Moss allotment site.
We call on Cordingleys to immediately hand over the allotment sites to Tameside Council as a matter of urgency.
We also, demand that Cordingleys make reparation to the future allotment holders for their neglect and mismanagement of the allotment site by providing sufficient resources to allow them to utilise the agricultural machinery that will be necessary to effectively remove the Soft Rush and other weed infestation from the allotment site.
For further information about the Ashton Allotment Action please view our facebook group http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_125146417562968&ap=1
Please view our video of the Action day http://you.tube/8X0qjO_UxkQ